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FC Dallas players say goal scoring "becomes contagious"

FRISCO – Almost any forward in a goalscoring drought will tell you that once the first one goes in, plenty more will follow. FC Dallas certainly hopes that’s the case as three players opened their season accounts in Saturday’s 5-0 rout of Portland.

Probably the most relieved of the three is Trinidad and Tobago international forward Scott Sealy. Earlier in his career, Sealy was a reliable Major League Soccer striker, having netted a combined 19 goals in 2006-07. However, he came into Saturday’s game having failed to find the back of the net in 37 appearances since returning to the league in 2010.

That changed on Saturday night in the 69th minute.

“It’s good to get that monkey off your back and doing it in a win when you’ve been struggling, it feels good,” Sealy said. “Three points and a goal is why you come to work.”

Sealy credits the blowout victory to a mix of hard work – something that’s been there all season – and a bit of luck, something that has been sorely lacking.

“In games past we’ve worked hard but been unlucky. Five or 10 games ago, the shot [Andrew Jacobson] takes probably hits the post and comes out but tonight it goes in,” Sealy said about the second goal. “It’s a snowball effect. Everyone’s making runs and completing passes, making tackles, and it becomes contagious.”

Jacobson’s first half rocket that Sealy mentioned was his first goal of the season. Dallas doesn’t count on the Bay Area native for too much offense, but anyone who sees him in practice will tell you that Jacobson has the hardest shot on the team.

“Andrew Jacobson is probably one of our best finishers and shooters on the team, but he hasn't had many opportunities,” head coach Schellas Hyndman said. “[Saturday] he had a great goal.”

The final and perhaps most encouraging player to open his season account was Homegrown forward Ruben Luna. A notoriously streaky scorer, Luna led the MLS Reserve League in scoring last year with 10 strikes, including four in one game, but was yet to make an impact on a first team match this year.

“For me to get a goal, it’s what I love to do,” Luna said after scoring his second career MLS goal. “When I start scoring goals, I keep going. It goes and it goes on.”